Meissen Seamstress Figure

- Item No.

Key Features

Item Details

Height:
8 7/8" Inches

Period:
19th Century

Origin:
Germany/Prussia

A seamstress holds a ruler in one hand and a jacket in the other in this fine porcelain figure by Meissen. The manufactory's "occupational" figures are some of the most sought-after designs by collectors. Excellent condition.

Provenance:The Maridon Museum, Butler, Pennsylvania

The figure bears the Meissen blue "crossed swords" mark with the model number "1380"

Late 19th / Early 20th century

8 7/8" high

Meissen: The Allure of Continental Porcelain

Early in the 18th century, Augustus the Strong, elector of Saxony, arrested alchemist Johann Friedrich Bottger and imprisoned him in the town of Meissen; his mission, to discover the secret formula for hard paste porcelain. In 1708 Bottger unlocked the mystery and found the key to both porcelain and his freedom, and by 1718 factories began springing up across Europe fostering an atmosphere of ferocious competition.

By 1720, the Meissen factory was producing wares that eclipsed even the finest Chinese porcelain. They dominated the European market and influenced porcelain production around the world.